Apparatus for edge finishing body opening in garments

ABSTRACT

An edge finishing machine for an opening in a garment the machine comprising a first frame movable relative to a second fixed frame, a sewing machine on arms pivotally connected to the first frame, cam means to move the first frame and the arms so that the sewing machine needle will follow the edge of the garment opening to be finished and a rotatable garment support located adjacent the machine.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,750,601 Lee Aug. 7, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR EDGE FINISHING BODY 2,580,871 [/1952 Wirtz l12/l2l.2 X OPENING GARMENTS 2,702,014 2/1955 Brownstein l12/l2l.l5 2,864,327 12/1958 Cole et al. ll2/l21.14 lnventor- 59 1 x' y e, e g, 3,180,292 4/1965 Allen 112/121.14 ictoria, ustra 1a 3,440,979 4/1969 Frederick l l2/l2l.2 [73] Assignee: Bouds Wear Pty. Limited,

Camperdown, New South Wales, Primary Examiner-Werner 1-1. Schroeder Australia Attorney-Nichol M. Sandoe et a1.

[22] Filed: Mar. 28, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 238,802 [57] ABSTRACT An edge finishing machine for an opening in a garment Foreign Appllcatlon Priority Data the machine comprising a first frame movable relative 51131. 30, AUS tna..... to a se ond fixed frame a sewing machine on arms pivotally connected to the first frame, cam means to move 2% ig ig the first frame and the arms so that the sewing machine 3 18 121 needle will follow the edge of the garment opening to 1 0 can .be finished and a rotatable arment su ort located ad- 112/12111 12112 12114 12115 1212 g PP jacent the machine. [56] References Cited 6 Cl 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Dm'mg 2,345,104 3/1944 Dittrich 1l2/l21.12

PATENTEDAUB 1191s SHEU 3 OF 6' APPARATUS FOR EDGE FINISHING BODY OPENING IN GARMENTS In the manufacture of garments the raw edge of openings therein e.g. leg or head or waist openings require over-locking or hemming to prevent fraying of the garment material and to present an edge finish of acceptable appearance.

This is particularly so in the manufacture of garments such as underpants for men and briefs for females.

The present invention has been devised primarily to provide a machine which will edge finish the waistband of female briefs.

Accordingly the invention provides an edge finishing machine for an opening in a garment, said machine comprising in combination with a rotatable body form on which a semifinished garment can be mounted with the opening to be finished in juxtaposition to said machine and an axis of rotation for the body form passing through said opening; a fixed frame, a frame movable relative to the fixed frame, a drive shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame and co-axial with the axis of rotation of the body form, a replica of the periphery of the shape of the garment opening fixed to the drive shaft and drive members on the drive shaft engageable with driven members fixed to the body form by movement of the movable frame, a constant speed power shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame drivingly coupled to a power transfer shaft and the periphery of said replica, first and second cam means driven by the transfer shaft, and third cam means driven by the power shaft, a sewing machine carrying arm assembly pivotally supported from the moving frame, said first cam means controlling the movement of the moving frame and said second and third cam means controlling the movement of said arm assembly, the arrangement being such that rotation of the power shaft causes movement of the moving frame with consequent driving engagement of the drive shaft with the body form and movement of the arm assembly to bring a sewing machine when fitted to the arm assembly into operative relationship with the edge of a garment to be finished and rotation of the drive shaft and thus the body form with a uniform surface speed for the periphery of the garment opening.

The invention is described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the machine.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the machine.

FIG. 3 is a view of the machine drive and FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the rear of the machine.

The waist band sewing is achieved by a mechanism including means to raise a sewing machine into an operative position relative to a body form whilst at a work station and away from the body form to permit the movement of the body form to a garment unloading station.

In the drawings the body form is illustrated at the work station.

More specifically there is provided a hollow body form 1 representing the trunk of a body, that is from the waist to the thighs. In the waist portion of the body form there is an infill member, indicated 2, to which is centrally fixed a mounting plate 3 having a central shaft (not shown) housed in a housing 4. Fixed to the lower end of the shaft in the housing 4 is a drive plate 6. The

housing 4 is supported on a travelling bar 5 whereby the body form 1 is moved between loading, work and unloading positions, or in the case of a conveyor mounted body form, to cause it to be traversed through these positions. The upper end 7 of the housing 4 is notched at 8 to receive a roller 9 supported by a bracket 10 on the plate 3. Engagement of the roller 9 in the notch 8 locates the body former in a rest position. Housed within the member 4 is a compression spring not shown which urges the plate 6 downwardly and the roller into notch 8.

Notches 12 are diametrically disposed in the plate 6 so as to be engageable by a bar 13 on a rotatable locating shaft 14 forming part of a drive assembly. The shaft 14 has a pointed end which, when it is raised, engages in an opening 16 in the center of the driving plate 6 and the bar 13 enters the notches 12. The shaft 14 is rotatably housed in bearings 18 supported on a frame 19 which can be raised and lowered. The frame 19 is supported by arms 20 from a stationary frame comprising posts 21 and connecting shafts 22 and 23. The frame 19 is raised and lowered by cam means driven through a drive system. The drive assembly also includes a plate 26 on which is mounted a drive shaft 27, a bevel gear 28 drives another bevel gear 28a fixed to a gear 29. A mating gear 29a drives a main gear 30. The gear 30 is fixed to a tubular shaft 34. To the underside of the gear 30 is fixed a cam 32 which engages a roller 33 fixed to a support member 24. Thus, as the shaft 27 is rotated the shaft 34 rotates and so does the cam 32 which cooperates with roller 33 to cause the frame 19 to rise and fall. The inner shaft 14 extends through the shaft 34 and has attached at its lower end a replica 35 of the peripheral shape of the body form 2. This replica 35 has a section of roller chain 36 fixed around its periphery. The roller chain 36 is engaged by a sprocket 37 concentrically mounted with a sprocket 38 which is driven through a chain 39 from a sprocket (not shown) on the bottom of a shaft 40 mounted rotatably on the plate 26. To the top of the shaft 40 are fixed the gears 28a-29. Sprockets 37 is pulled into engagement with the roller chain on the replica 35 by spring means (not shown) and will drive the peripherally mounted chain 36 at a uniform peripheral speed although the angular velocity of the inner shaft 14 will vary. Because of the foregoing arrangement the surface speed of the periphery of the waist of the body form 1 is constant and therefore when stitching of the garment waist is undertaken the stitch length will be uniform.

A sewing machine shown in broken outline and indicated generally as 41 (FIG. 4) is mounted on support frame 42 at the top of arm 43 pivotally connected as at 44 to an arm 45 in turn pivotally connected to columns 19. The sewing machine may be of any suitable type such as a Singer Sewing Machine No. 246 K43. The top end of the arm 43 is laterally supported by guides 46. Mounted on the arm 43 there is a bracket 47 which supports corresponding ends of two cylinders 48 extending between the bracket 47 to lugs 49 on the arms l9. By maintaining an up-thrust in the cylinders 48 a roller 50 is kept in engagement with a cam 51 fixed to shaft 34 which controls the up and down movement of the inter-connected arms 43 and 45. The sewing machine 41 is moved towards and away from the body form 1 by a cam 52 fixed to the shaft 14 and engaging an elongated roller 53. Desirably a spring is used to maintain the cam and rollerS2-53 in contact. It follows therefore that as the shaft 34 rotates the cam 51 rotates and the arms 43-45 move up and down. Simultaneously the arm 43 moves in a pivotal action about the pivot shaft 44 by the engagement of the cam 52 with the rollers 53. The shape of the cam 52 approximates the shape of waist of the body form 1 and the replica 35. As a result of the foregoing mechanisms the sewing machine 41 will move in and out so as to maintain the needle and foot thereof in line with the periphery of the waist of the body form 1.

A drive is taken to the sewing machine 41 from an air clutch operated motor 54 via toothed drive belts S and 56 running around pulleys on shafts 44.

A gang of air valves 57 mounted on a bracket 58 extending between the columns 19, is operated by cams adjustably mounted on a plate 59 fixed to the shaft 34.

The cams operate the valves 57 and the valves 57 control the operation of various cylinders-forming part of the apparatus. For example the cylinder operating the clutch for the sewing machine motor, the thread nipper, the edge lifter and feeder which directs the portion to be sewn between the presser foot and the needle of the sewing machine in known manner.

Only one sewing machine arrangement has been described, it will be appreciated that the waist sewing can be accelerated by duplicating some mechanisms and using two sewing machines each to sew half of the waist length.

I claim:

1. A machine for edge finishing an opening in a semifinished garment mounted on a body form having an axis of rotation that passes through the opening comprising: a fixed frame, a movable frame mounted on and movable relative to the fixed frame, a constant speed drive shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame, a first driven shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame and driven by the constant speed drive shaft, first and second cam means driven by the first driven shaft, a cam follower on the fixed frame engaging the first cam means, a second driven shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame and coaxially with the axis of rotation of the body form, a replica of the periphery of the shape of the garment opening fixed to the second driven shaft, drive members fixed to the second driven shaft engageable with co-operating members fixed to the body form as a result of movement of the movable frame, a driving connection between the periphery of the replica of the garment opening and the drive shaft resulting in uniform surface speed of the replica and hence the body form opening when the drive and co-operating members are engaged, third cam means driven by the second driven shaft, a sewing machine carrying arm assembly supported pivotally from the movable frame, cam followers on the arm assembly engaging said second and third cam means, the arrangement being such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the driven shafts and movement of the movable frame through the first cam means and its follower with consequent cyclic driving engagement and disengagement of the drive and co-operating members with consequent rotation of the body form during engagement and movement of the arm assembly through the second and third cam means and their followers to bring a sewing machine when fitted to the arm assembly into operative relationship with the edge of a garment to be finished.

2. The machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second driven shafts are concentrically mounted.

3. The machine claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm assembly includes a first pair of arms having their first ends respectively pivotally connected to the second ends of the first pair of arms, side guides on the movable frame laterally supporting the second pair of arms, a first cam roller on the second pair of arms urged into contact with a lateral positioning cam forming the first cam means and a sewing machine support mounted on the second pair of arms.

4. The machine claimed in claim 3 further comprising a second cam roller on the arm assembly, an up and down positioning cam forming the second cam means and an air cylinder linking the arm assembly and the movable frame to maintain the second cam means and its roller in engagement.

5. The machine claimed in claim 1 further comprising valve means mounted on the movable frame, air cylinders controlled by the valve means, and a cam assembly eccentric ally mounted on the first driven shaft so as to be movable past and operatively engageable with the valve means.

6. The machine claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one tooth on the periphery of the replica and a toother wheel driven by the drive shaft and engaging the tooth on the replica.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFXCE CERTIFIQATE @F CQRREQTIQN Patent No. 3,750,601

Dated August 7, 1973 Inventor Harold Barry Lee It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE CAPTION:

The Foreign Application Priority Data should have been indicated as follows:

--Foreign Application Priority Data 30, Australia...-o...-o-.... ...PA4-452 Signed and sealed this 27th day of November 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

RENE D. TEGTMEYER Acting Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC sews-ps9 7 

1. A machine for edge finishing an opening in a semi-finished garment mounted on a body form having an axis of rotation that passes through the opening comprising: a fixed frame, a movable frame mounted on and movable relative to the fixed frame, a constant speed drive shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame, a first driven shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame and driven by the constant speed drive shaft, first and second cam means driven by the first driven shaft, a cam follower on the fixed frame engaging the first cam means, a second driven shaft rotatably mounted on the movable frame and coaxially with the axis of rotation of the body form, a replica of the periphery of the shape of the garment opening fixed to the second driven shaft, drive members fixed to the second driven shaft engageable with co-operating members fixed to the body form as a result of movement of the movable frame, a driving connection between the periphery of the replica of the garment opening and the drive shaft resulting in uniform surface speed of the replica and hence the body form opening when the drive and co-operating members are engaged, third cam means driven by the second driven shaft, a sewing machine carrying arm assembly supported pivotally from the movable frame, cam followers on the arm assembly engaging said second and third cam means, the arrangement being such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the driven shafts and movement of the movable frame through the first cam means and its follower with consequent cyclic driving engagement and disengagement of the drive and co-operating members with consequent rotation of the body form during engagement and movement of the arm assembly through the second and third cam means and their followers to bring a sewing machine when fitted to the arm assembly into operative relationship with the edge of a garment to be finished.
 2. The machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second driven shafts are concentrically mounted.
 3. The machine claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm assembly includes a first pair of arms having their first ends respectively pivotally connected to the second ends of the first pair of arms, side guides on the movable frame laterally supporting the second pair of arms, a first cam roller on the second pair of arms urged into contact with a lateral positioning cam forming the first cam means and a sewing machine support mounted on the second pair of arms.
 4. The machine claimed in claim 3 further comprising a second cam roller on the arm assembly, an up and down positioning cam forming the second cam means and an air cylinder linking the arm assembly and the movable frame to maintAin the second cam means and its roller in engagement.
 5. The machine claimed in claim 1 further comprising valve means mounted on the movable frame, air cylinders controlled by the valve means, and a cam assembly eccentrically mounted on the first driven shaft so as to be movable past and operatively engageable with the valve means.
 6. The machine claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one tooth on the periphery of the replica and a toother wheel driven by the drive shaft and engaging the tooth on the replica. 